Conventional data connectors have tended to have single-orientation interfaces. For example, Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type A and B connectors, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connectors, and other data such data connectors have traditionally been designed to plug into a corresponding port in one orientation; if the cable is flipped over, it will not physically fit into the port. In recent years, multiple connector systems (including corresponding standards, protocols, etc.) have been designed to interface with their respective ports in multiple orientations. For example, USB Type C connectors and Lightning connectors support rotational symmetry, so that the cables can be plugged into corresponding ports in at least two orientations (e.g., if such a connector is flipped over, it can still be plugged in).
Testing such connectors and/or ports can be cumbersome, time consuming, prone to error, and/or otherwise undesirable. For example, a laptop may include multiple USB Type C ports, and it may be desirable to test each port with a reference device (e.g., a removable storage device, charger, signal generator, etc.) in each of the multiple permitted orientations. Similarly, it may be desirable to test a single USB Type C port on a laptop with multiple types of reference devices in each of the multiple permitted orientations. Such a test can typically involve a human or robot plugging each of the one or more reference devices into each of the one or more USB Type C ports in each of at least two orientations.